In loving memory of
Joyce Charlene Stenson
January 22, 1925 - July 14, 2022
Joyce Charlene Stenson, 97 of Quincy, IL, passed away peacefully on July 14, 2022 at Blessing Hospital Hospice Care in Quincy.
Joyce spent the last 4 years enjoying the Community of Quincy, making her home with her daughter Sheri Stenson Busse. She was welcomed by all the lovely people she met, especially her dear friends Joyce Riggs, Debi Moore and her many friends at Quincy's Spring Lake Ladies night, Girls' night out, and Quincy's Sew Essential group.
Joyce was born on January 22, 1925 in Vernon Center, Minnesota to Charles William and Helen Ivadel (Dayton) Starbuck, and from that day on the world became a better place.
She was raised on a farm near Roland, Iowa where she went to Milford Township Consolidated School before graduating and marrying her Roland High School sweetheart, Marvin "Tubby" Stenson on April 18th 1943 prior to his leaving for service in WWII. While he was away, she worked many jobs, mainly at Donnely' s in Nevada, Iowa. Joyce and Marvin wrote each other nearly every day while he was in the war overseas, and the family cherishes the fact that she kept all of "Tubby's" treasured letters. Upon returning from service, Marvin enrolled at Iowa State University on the G.I. bill, while the couple lived in one of the cabins at her parents' cabin camp on the Lincoln Highway in Nevada. While living at Starbuck's Cabins, their son Mark Alan was born.
Upon Marvin's graduation in 1950, the young family moved to Marshalltown, where Marvin worked as an Architect for Russell Prescott. Joyce and Marvin lost an infant daughter, Julie Rae, who is buried in Marshalltown.
They moved to Waterloo and were blessed with a daughter, Sheri Jolene in 1957. Two years later another daughter, Lori Susan was born, and in 1962, another son Todd William.
Joyce enjoyed an adventurous life in the home Marvin designed for them on Grand Blvd in Castle Hill, a heavily wooded area near the Hartman Reserve Nature Center between Waterloo and Cedar Falls, and also at their cabin on Lake Jefferson near Cleveland, Minnesota.
While raising her family, Joyce loved to entertain and was active in Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Beta Sigma Phi and Eastern Star, where she served as Worthy Matron, and in the Emanon Club at Grace United Church.
Joyce loved flower arranging and crafts, and she and Marvin loved traveling and enjoying life with her siblings and their spouses; Donald (Gladys) Starbuck, Betty (Merle) Daley, Darrell (Jean) Starbuck, and Marvin's siblings and their families.
After Marvin's retirement in 1985, they purchased a home in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, where they joined the Lutheran Church and made many friends. For several years, they wintered there and spent their summers on Lake Jefferson, where she was always the one to catch the biggest Northern.
Joyce was welcomed into Heaven by her loving husband Marvin, her father Charles, her mother Helen, son Todd, infant daughter Julie Rae, her siblings and many other dear family members and friends.
Left to cherish her memory are son Mark (Janet) Stenson of Marshalltown, IA; daughters Sheri Busse of Quincy, IL and Lori (Jeff) Hach of Canton, OH; Daughter in Law Heather Keena of St. Paul, MN; grandchildren Celeste (Brant) Luense, Tyler (Bethany) Busse, Sarah (Austin) Davis, Axel Stenson (Tess), James Hach (Stephanie), and Jonathan Hach; great grandchildren Logan (Taylor) Barnes and Leiah Luense (Marco), Preston Busse, Caroline Davis, Jayden, Max, Emi, and a great grandson on the way.
Her life will be honored and celebrated at a 1:30 pm Service on Saturday, August 6th at Salem Lutheran Church in Roland, Iowa.
A visitation will be held one hour prior to the service from 12:30 to 1:30 at the church.
Inurnment will be in Roland Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hartman Reserve Nature Center in Cedar Falls, in hopes to continue adventurous enjoyment of future generations and families.